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Folio of compositions and the Selective Subtraction of Tone and Rhythmic Material composition method Emmanouil Ekmektsoglou PhD University of York Music September 2017 1 Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to provide a commentary on eight works composed between 2014 and 2017. In particular, this text includes the main thoughts of the composer regarding compositional process, texture transformation, tone material and form. The pieces in this portfolio demonstrate the development of my compositional practice and personal style, characterised by the importance of pitch and textural elements and the use of gesture. Furthermore, references are made to the composer’s Selective Subtraction of Tone and Rhythmic Material composition method whenever is implemented. 2 List of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................... 2 List of Contents ............................................................................................................. 3 List of Examples ........................................................................................................... 4 List of accompanying material ....................................................................................... 7 Author’s declaration....................................................................................................... 8 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 9 MAIN BODY/ CHAPTERS I. Influences ......................................................................................................... 10 II. Basic Fundamentals of the Selective Subtraction of Tone and Rhythmic Material composition technique ...................................................................... 21 III. Folio of compositions ...................................................................................... 31 Pyrrhichios, for bassoon, guitar and cello ....................................................... 31 Sustaining Love, for bass clarinet, violin and cello ......................................... 34 String Quartet No. 2 ........................................................................................ 36 Motion, In Two, for violin solo ....................................................................... 43 Subtraction Melody, for clarinet in Bb solo .................................................... 46 Little Mass No. 2, for tenor saxophone, accordion and cello .......................... 50 Sustaining Interruption, for large ensemble ................................................... 51 Ongoing…, for orchestra ................................................................................. 55 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 62 References ................................................................................................................... 65 3 List of Examples Example 1: Mark Andre, durch, piano gesture, bar 53 ............................................... 10 Example 2: George Aperghis, Contretemps, bars 11-12 ............................................. 12 Example 3: Little Mass No. 2, bars 21-26 ................................................................... 13 Example 4: Distribution of the single melodic line among instruments, Sustaining Love, last two bars ....................................................................................................... 13 Example 5: Front view of La Tourette Monastery ....................................................... 15 Example 6: Xenakis’s graph of the pizzicato and glissandi in bars 52-59, Pithoprakta ................................................................................................................... 16 Example 7: Sieve of bars 10-62, Jonchaies .................................................................. 16 Example 8: Herma, for solo piano, page 18 ................................................................ 18 Example 9: Mikka, for solo violin, opening ................................................................ 19 Example 10: Exampes of gestures in Xenakis’s works, Jonchaies, bars 1-3, Synaphai, bars 1-5......................................................................................................................... 20 Example 11: Example of primary material .................................................................. 21 Example 12: Example of resulting material ................................................................ 21 Example 13: Primary material of Industry in my neighborhood, bars 1-54 ............... 22 Example 14: Industry in my neighborhood, bars 1-16 ................................................ 23 Example 15: Primary and resulting material bars 1-3, Pyrrhichios ........................... 25 Example 16:Primary and resulting material, bars 122(1st half)-125, Pyrrhichios...... 25 Example 17: Juxtaposition of the primary and resulting material of two different applications, Pyrrhichios ............................................................................................. 26 Example 18: Initial and final form of bars 91(last beat)-93, String Quartet No.2 ...... 29 Example 19: Pyrrhichios, overall view of the form ...................................................... 31 Example 20: Pyrrhichios, section 1, use of strings for cello and guitar ...................... 32 4 Example 21: Pitch organisation, bars 24 – 29 (Pyrrhichios) ..................................... 32 Example 22: Principal scales of bars 52 – 64 (Pyrrhichios) ...................................... 33 Example 23: Sustaining Love, selected patterns ......................................................... 35 Example 24: Chordal material, String Quartet No. 2, Mov.I ...................................... 36 Example 25: Chord progressions a & b (String Quartet No. 2, Mov.I) ..................... 37 Example 26: Overall scheme of dynamic range (String Quartet No. 2, Mov.II) ........ 38 Example 27: Primary melodic material, bars 54-59 (String Quartet No. 2, Mov.III) 39 Example 28: Glissando limits (String Quartet No. 2, Mov.IV) .................................. 40 Example 29: Cello line, bars 90-92, (String Quartet No. 2, Mov.III) ........................ 40 Example 30: Micropolyphonic structure, bars 190-193 (String Quartet No. 2, Mov.V) ...................................................................................................................................... 41 Example 31: Comparison of repetitive figure of bars 70-72 and first septuplet of bar 73 (Motion, in Two) .................................................................................................... 44 Example 32: Example of subject and stretto from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Fugue XX ..................................................................................................................... 44 Example 33: Comparison of patterns (Motion, in Two) ............................................ 45 Example 34: Points of intensification (Motion, in Two) ............................................ 46 Example 35: Examples of transformations of the principal melodic line (Subtraction Melody) ....................................................................................................................... 47 Example 36: Examples of new patterns, bar 61 onward (Subtraction Melody) ......... 48 Example 37: Structural overview of Sustaining Interruption ...................................... 52 Example 38: Section 3 pitch order, bars 49-58 (Sustaining Interruption) ................. 53 Example 39: Last dissonant chord of the changing harmony, bar 58 (Sustaining Interruption) ................................................................................................................ 53 Example 40: Primary material of bars 86-92 (Sustaining Interruption) .................... 54 Example 41: Orchestration overview of section 5 (Sustaining Interruption) ............. 55 5 Example 42: Opening gesture of the bassoon (Ongoing…) ........................................ 56 Example 43: Dynamic variation overview of sustained notes, bars 96-110 (Ongoing…) ................................................................................................................. 58 Example 44: Harmonic structure of the massive chord of the opening (Ongoing…) . 59 Example 45: Structural overview of Ongoing… ........................................................ 59 6 List of accompanying material Along with the commentary, this folio comprises eight scores and one audio CD. Title Dates of Composition Duration (ordered by completion) Pyrrhichios, for Oct. 2014 - Jan. 2015 Approx. 7’ bassoon, guitar and cello Sustaining Love, for bass Oct. - Nov. 2014 Approx. 4’:30’’ clarinet, violin and cello String quartet No. 2 Nov. 2014 - Nov. 2015 Approx. 12’:40’’ Motion, in Two, for Feb. - April 2015 Approx. 6’ violin solo Subtraction Melody, for Nov. 2015 - Feb. 2016 Approx. 8’ clarinet in Bb solo Little Mass No. 2, for Feb. - March 2016 Approx. 4’ tenor saxophone, accordion and cello Sustaining Interruption, Feb. - June 2016 Approx. 8’ for large ensemble Ongoing, for orchestra Sept. 2016 - April 2017 Approx. 10’ Audio CD Pyrrhichios: Gallois – Anderson – De Saram trio, 02/06/15, Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall (SJLCH), York. Sustaining Love: AMGA ensemble in Hong Kong, 28/04/15, Shatin Town Hall (Cultural Activity
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